Multiple-pixel-beam retinal displays

Abstract

A multiple-pixel-beam retinal display (MPBRD) system comprises a near-eye or on-eye display system which delivers any one or more of 2D or 3D images or data to at least one of a user's retinas using a bundle of simultaneously—and differently—statically directed light beams. Each individual beam is of low or no divergence and each angularly fixed beam of the bundle originates from a different corresponding source-image pixel and is delivered through a display-system exit aperture each at static, fixed angles. The bundle of differently statically directed, individually low- or no-divergence pixel beams can be overlaid upon a user's eye-entrance pupil.

The invention claimed is:   
     
       1. A multibeam near-eye or on-eye visual display system that simultaneously emits and directs all pixels of a multipixel physical source-image display to the retina, in focus on the retina at high image resolution and at high frame rates and with high image brightness, that eliminates the need for beam rasterization or beam-scanning components, and that is wearable by a user closely in front of or directly on one or both eyes wherein each of the emitting pixels places an optical beam unique to that pixel at a fixed position directly upon the retina simultaneously with all other imaqe pixels, along a total optical-path distance for each pixel that is closer to the eye than the user's normal near-focal-distance, each near-eye or on-eye display comprising:
 a) a physical image source in the form of an emissive, miniature, multipixel flat or curved display from which all image pixels simultaneously emit light toward the eye, 
 b) a passive optical component that is affixed to the emitting surface of the physical source display, situated between the physical source display and the eye, the passive optical component comprising a dense array of hollow, high-aspect-ratio length-to-cross-section collimating light conduits in 1:1 positional correspondence with the pixels of the emissive display, said conduits reducing beam divergence such that all pixel beams from the source image are maintained as separate, illuminated pixel spots on the retina, thereby delivering the source-display image onto the retina with high image contrast, 
 c) each light conduit optically isolating a pixel beam laterally from all other pixel beams, 
 d) the optical-conduit layer providing beam steering by one of:
 a. the optical pixel-conduit collimator tubes being nonparallel and themselves providing beam steering by each conduit having a unique angle from the source-imaqe display to the retina, or 
 b. the optical conduits being parallel, and all collimated pixel beams then pass through an affixed shared lens that steers all beams simultaneously to their correct, fixed positions on the retina or 
 c. a combination of the conduits and a lens together steer the pixel beams, 
 
 e) a head- or eye-worn appliance that holds the display spatially aligned with a user's eye entrance pupil, and 
 f) a source of display power or a connection to a source of display power and 
 g) a source of video or image content or a connection to a source of video or image content, 
 
       wherein the source image appears on the retina at high frame rate and brightness, the retinal image being comprised of a simultaneously beamed array of pixels each of which is independently, simultaneously and passively divergence reduced, independently, simultaneously and passively routed in lateral isolation to all other pixel beams, the brightness and frame rate being high because all image pixel beams operate simultaneously. 
     
     
       2. The multibeam near-eye or on-eye visual display system of  claim 1  wherein the many low-divergence or nondiverging pixel beams, before their arrival at the display exit aperture and during their transit from source display to display exit aperture:
 a) do not cross paths, 
 b) do not overlap and 
 c) each beam has a divergence angle that is small enough to avoid user-perceived loss of image contrast due to overlapping of adjacent pixel beams at the retina. 
 
     
     
       3. The multibeam near-eye or on-eye visual display system of  claim 1  wherein the dense array of hollow, divergence-reducing light conduits is created by exposing a fiber-optic bundle to a chemical etchant and selectively removing the fiber cores by chemical etching and leaving the fiber cladding as the hollow conduits. 
     
     
       4. The multibeam near-eye or on-eye visual display system of  claim 1  wherein the user's worn or carried display system internally contains any one or more of: microprocessor(s), memory, power-related components, a video camera(s), an audio component, a location or orientation sensor, an eye-gaze or pupil-position sensor, connectors or plugs for external connectivity or services, transmitting or receiving radios, transceivers or antennas for external connectivity or services or for internal connectivity, or any type of corrective lens. 
     
     
       5. The multibeam near-eye or on-eye visual display system of  claim 4  wherein the eye gaze or eye pupil position sensor contributes to assuring that a display exit pupil aligns or overlaps an eye pupil. 
     
     
       6. The multibeam near-eye or on-eye visual display system of  claim 1  wherein, while wearing the display, the user can view at least one of:
 a) electronic data or images, 
 b) his/her actual live surroundings, 
 c) both (a) and (b) whether or not along the same line of sight or at the same time. 
 
     
     
       7. The multibeam near-eye or on-eye visual display system of  claim 6  wherein the user, at least one time during display-system use:
 a) sees electronic images or data overlaying, overlaid or associated with objects in his/her real surroundings view or in an electronic data image of his/her surroundings view, 
 b) sees targeted electronic images or data or information simultaneously, 
 c) sees or hears targeted advertising, possibly simultaneously, 
 d) sees or hears live or recorded educational, instructional, entertainment, advisory, guidance or other information 
 e) communicates with another person or device such as by making or receiving a live or recorded voice, video or audio/video phone call, 
 f) utilizes a social network, 
 g) utilizes an online retailer or service, 
 h) utilizes an online search engine, 
 i) utilizes texting, messaging or email, 
 j) utilizes a cloud service or remote server, 
 k) utilizes a graphical user interface or web browser, 
 l) utilizes speech or voice recognition. 
 
     
     
       8. The multibeam near-eye or on-eye visual display system of  claim 1  wherein the display or any portion thereof includes, is compatible with, incorporates or attaches to vision-corrective eyeglasses or contact lens(es) or to noncorrective eyeglasses, contact lens(es), an eyeglass-like frame, or any head-mounted appliance that can maintain alignment between a display-system exit aperture and at least one eye entrance pupil. 
     
     
       9. The multibeam near-eve or on-eve visual display system of  claim 1  wherein a source display or displays utilize one or more display technologies. 
     
     
       10. The multibeam near-eye or on-eye visual display system of  claim 1  wherein optical element(s) used to reduce pixel-beam divergence, direct a pixel beam or act as a pixel-beam high-aspect-ratio conduit includes any one or more of:
 a) a faceplate with the fiber cores removed, whether flat or curved, comprising a bundle of hollow-tube light guides formed by the remaining fiber claddings that are closely packed to correspond with the pixel positions of the source display, 
 b) a microcapillary plate, whether flat or curved, the microcapillary positions corresponding with the pixel positions of the source display, 
 c) a plate which is a fiber-optic faceplate on the beam-entry face and a microchannel plate or plate of hollow light guides on the opposing exit face, whether flat or curved, 
 d) a 1:1 array of high-aspect-ratio light conduits each of which is optically coupled to a corresponding source pixel using an additional lens between each source pixel and each light conduit or 
 e) any of a, b, c and d in combination. 
 
     
     
       11. The multibeam near- or on-eye visual display system of  claim 1  wherein an optical element that performs or contributes to steering pixel beams at different fixed angles or to different fixed spatial positions includes one or more of:
 a) a refractive or holographic lens or lens array, 
 b) an array of light-masking or light-guiding conduits consisting of any of vacuum-, gas- or liquid-filled conduits, fiber-optic faceplate or fiber-optic fiber conduits, opaque-walled filled or unfilled conduits or channels, hollow waveguides, high-aspect-ratio (length divided by diameter) conduits or channels and thin-walled conduits or channels, 
 c) a Fresnel lens, a prism or array thereof, or 
 d) an aspheric, compound or gradient-index refractive lens. 
 
     
     
       12. The multibeam near-eye or on-eye visual display system of  claim 1  wherein the source display and the array of optical light conduits are either (i) manufactured as one integrated component or (ii) fabricated as separate components that are then fixedly juxtaposed or laminated to each other. 
     
     
       13. The multibeam near-eye or on-eye visual display system of  claim 12  wherein the conduits include light-emiitting plasma chambers, phosphor-containing chambers or optically resonant cavities implemented within at least a portion of the optical conduits which thereby serve as emitting source-display pixels. 
     
     
       14. The multibeam near-eye or on-eye visual display system of  claim 1  wherein the user sees source-display-provided images of data and his/her surroundings, whether overlaid or not, whether simultaneously or not, for at least a period of use, the surroundings being viewed either directly or in the form of a camera-detected and presented image. 
     
     
       15. The multibeam near-eye or on-eye visual display system of  claim 1  wherein potential optical interference in or between incoming pixel beams that are arriving at the retina is avoided by one or more of:
 a) using microchannel, microcapillary or optical-conduit divergence limiters or beam formers having a channel or conduit diameter several times larger than a monochromatic wavelength of the emitted-pixel light to avoid Airy self-interference, 
 b) spacing retinal impacting beams far enough apart to reduce neighbor-to-neighbor interference, 
 c) making the position locational grid of the retinal pixels irregular relative to a regular grid with fixed spacings, 
 d) not firing near-neighbor, same-color, monochromatic beams truly simultaneously but instead firing them with a user-imperceptible delay between them, 
 e) slewing the wavelength of a primary color such that it is instantaneously different than that of a neighboring beam, or 
 f) using broadband backlighting or broadband color filters. 
 
     
     
       16. The multibeam near-eye or on-eye visual display system of  claim 1  wherein the source-image display is located in front of the eye, regardless of its apparent size, and is one or more of:
 a) capable of switching between a displaying mode and a transparent mode, and the user's actual surroundings may be seen through the source-image display in the transparent mode, 
 b) comprised of an image-source display at least part of which can be switched to transparent mode, 
 c) not transparent at any time during use, 
 d) capable of presenting one or both of data or an actual-surroundings view, whether that surroundings view is through a transparent display portion or is a displayed image of said surroundings. 
 
     
     
       17. The multibeam near-eye or on-eye visual display system of  claim 1  wherein the light conduits are optically coupled to their mating source-image pixels using a pixel-to-conduit optical coupling element at each source pixel. 
     
     
       18. The multibeam near-eye or on-eye visual display system of  claim 1  wherein adjacent or nearby pixel beams may temporally operate independently or simultaneously because each pixel beam is delivered to a different position on the retina. 
     
     
       19. The multibeam near-eye or on-eye visual display system of  claim 1  wherein the divergence-reducing component comprises an array of conduits which are fabricated using one or more of:
 a. subtractive processes, including:
 i. Chemical etching of optical fibers 
 ii. Plasma etching 
 
 b. built-up by additive processes, including:
 i. lithography, (iii) built up layer by layer 
 ii. thin-film processes.